Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Declan!” she roars, her orgasm tearing through her.
Her pussy strangles my cock, and all too soon, I’m shouting her name, keeping her thighs gripped tightly as I spill into the condom. My arms wrap around her as I hold her tightly. I never want to let her go.
We’re both breathing heavily, and we’re covered in sweat, but neither of us seems to care as we hold on to one another, as if our very lives depend on the connection. In a way, it feels as if it does.
Finally, I pull back and look into her eyes. “I love you.”
Tears fill her eyes. “I love you too.”
We lie in each other’s arms while our breathing regulates back to normal. My hold on her is tight. I need her to know that I’m never going to let her go.
“Let’s get cleaned up.” I need her in my arms, but I need to take care of the condom. It’s time we talk about what comes next for us. I know what I want our future to look like. I need to see where her head is at with all of this.
I let her go first while I remove the condom and toss it in the trash can next to the bed. When she exits the bathroom, I kiss her quickly before disappearing behind the door to clean up. When I get back to my room, she’s asleep. At least, that’s what she wants me to think. I’ll let her have it tonight. Tomorrow, we talk and plan for our future. I just hope that we have a future to plan. I pull her into my arms, and within minutes I’m falling fast asleep.
When I wake up hours later, she’s gone. I find a note on the kitchen counter that said she needed to get home to Maureen. It’s an excuse, and we both know it.
Looks like I get to track her down today. We have things we need to say.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-ONE
Kennedy
It’s Wednesday afternoon, and I’m running on fumes. I skipped out on Declan Saturday night, leaving him with a note saying that I needed to get home to Grandma. It took everything I had to crawl out of his bed, but I made myself do it. Luckily, I’d parked at his place, and we rode to the gender reveal together. Carol and Raymond brought my grandma with them since Declan, Blakely, and I went early to ensure everything was set up by the staff as it should have been.
Sunday, he called and wanted me to come to family dinner, but I declined. Grandma wasn’t feeling well, and the guilt of how much I’ve been leaving her was already heavy on my shoulders. He walked over with Blakely to bring us dinner. They stayed for a while to visit, but we didn’t have the chance to talk.
Monday, there was a busted pipe at the manor that I had to deal with most of the day. By the time I made it home, it was after seven, and I still had a manuscript that I needed to wrap up edits on and send back to the author to make my deadline.
Tuesday, I was dealing with cleanup at the manor, and that afternoon, Grandma had a specialist appointment an hour away with a dermatologist. She had a suspicious mole on her arm, and she’d been waiting to get in for months. Of course, she told them it was to establish care and not that she was having an issue. I made sure to scold her for that, and she blew me off, stating she was just being extra cautious, but I still went back with her and made sure she was honest with the doctor. Thankfully, he, too, thought it was fine, but they did a biopsy to be sure. We went to dinner after and got stuck in traffic, a water main break on the way home. It was after eight, and I was beat. Declan was disappointed, but he understood.
Now it’s Wednesday, and I finally have a minute to breathe. I sent my author's manuscript back and didn’t have another until Monday. The manor is repaired, and everything is cleaned up, thanks to the staff. Grandma is doing well. She has an appointment in two weeks to have her cast removed and X-rays on her leg.
As I’m closing my laptop to pack up and head home for the day, my cell phone rings. Expecting to see Declan’s name, I’m surprised to see Palmer’s. “Hey,” I greet her.
“Hi, what are you doing right now?” she asks.
“Just leaving the manor for the day.”
“Can you come to my place?”
“Sure, is everything okay?”
“Yes. Piper requested an impromptu girls’ night, and I volunteered our place. Well, Brooks volunteered. He’s heading over to hang out with Declan and Blakely.”
“I haven’t spoken to him.” I don’t tell her that I’ve had little time to do so in the past several days or the relief I’ve felt even though I’ve missed him. He asked me to stay, and I don’t know what I’m going to do.